Green business program gathering steam in city
SM BUSINESS PARK With cookies and cake covered in green and white frosting to symbolize their move toward becoming a more environmentally friendly company, employees at CaseStack’s corporate headquarters last Friday celebrated being named one of 16 green businesses in Santa Monica.
The logistics company, which helps mid-sized businesses store and ship their products, worked for several months to identify ways in which to save energy and water while reducing their carbon footprint.
Their efforts paid off. They received Sustainable Works’ Green Business Certification, joining an elite group of businesses that have made an effort and invested money to go green.
“We are so pleased to be officially certified,” said Sum-Sum Chan, director of marketing and communications. “CaseStack has always been at the forefront of sustainability and this certification sends the message that businesses can thrive while also being environmentally aware.”
As a logistics business, CaseStack already offers green services such as retailer-driven consolidation programs and bio-diesel fuel options, so it only made sense for its internal operations to make the change to sustainable choices as well, Chan said.
“We didn’t want to just talk the talk,” Chan said.
Some new developments include adding energy-saving motion sensors to the vending machines, auto-shutdown for all computers, printing business cards and letterhead on 30 percent post-consumer recycled product with vegetable-based ink, and cleaning with non-toxic, biodegradable products.
CaseStack has received awards from Ernst & Young, Deloitte and Inc. magazine, recognizing it as one of the fastest-growing and technologically advanced logistics outsourc-ing companies in North America.
Their operation helps cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, too. Small businesses that can’t afford to set up their own warehouses and purchase trucks to ship their products go to CaseStack, which makes sure that any trucks that roll out of their warehouses are packed to the brim, therefore reducing trips. Instead of having several trucks from each company on the road, there’s only a handful from CaseStack, Chan said.
The Green Business Certification program, which is sponsored by City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureau and Santa Monica College, was launched in October 2006. Since then 16 businesses have gone through extensive environmental audits and have earned certification. Another 10 are on the waiting list, said Susy Holyhead, the director of the program.
“It’s always great when we can add another business to the list,” Holyhead said.“The program is really starting to pick up steam.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 25, 2008. Read the original PDF.